


Exceptions

by kayethespade



Series: Bianca Shepard: Local Badass [1]
Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Arguing, F/M, Feelings, Innuendo, Port Shenanigans, Renegade Shepard (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2018-11-19 09:48:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11310840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayethespade/pseuds/kayethespade
Summary: Bianca Shepard is a Renegade. Except under very specific circumstances. Ship stuff doesn't happen until chapter three.





	1. Matchmaker

Garrus stood back as Bianca engaged with the kiosk attendant. She didn't make a habit of speaking with people unnecessarily. Occasionally, she would do so to gloat or complain, but these were few and far between. What was she doing here?

"Krogan live long lives. It's not like dating a human where you just stick it out for a couple of centuries until they die..Uh! No offense." Garrus held in an outburst of laughter from this. Normally, saying that to Shepard would warrant a thoroughly cleaned clock.

Why exactly hadn't Bianca trounced her? What was her game?

"You need to talk to your boyfriend. He's just going to keep shouting poetry at you until you do." She was totally going to tell the asari to drop him. Right?

"I know. But it's tough. I like him a lot. Hell, I love him! But I don't know if he's permanent bond material."

Bianca motioned to the krogan. He couldn't quite see her face, but her voice sounded more gentle than usual. "Look at him. He's obviously crazy about you." What?

"Is he? I mean, what if he just wants to have kids? Am I just his baby-making machine? He said I wasn't, but-"

Bianca crossed her arms over her chest and popped a hip to the side. "If he said that, you either trust him, so you have nothing to worry about. Or you don't, and you've already decided." The fuck?

"I..I guess I hadn't thought about it like that. And I do trust him. If he said it...I'm going to talk to him. Here. I've given you a discount at my terminal. Thanks for the help."

Bianca took a deep breath and turned around to face him and Thane. "Not one word about that to the crew."

"Understood," Thane responded immediately. New guy.

Garrus flared his mandibles into a smirk. Bianca glared at him, daring him to say something.

"So. You do have a soft spot somewhere in there."

Bianca quickly purchased her model ships then started off in the direction of their next objective at a march. A few paces away, she turned to walk backwards and waved her arms for emphasis. "Are you kidding me, Vakarian? It was love! I had to do something. There was no question about those two. The world can burn for all I care about your opinion."

"You're a romantic, Commander." He fell in step with her as she turned back around.

"Were you just not paying attention during all my other good deeds?"

"Ah. You also have a soft spot for quarians."

"Well do you blame me? Tali was one of my best friends on the SR1. Of course I'm going to help her people because they're so misunderstood at port. Don't I know what that's like. So yeah. Get off my ass."

"Figuratively or literally?"

"Both. Step the fuck back."

Garrus let Bianca take a few more steps before walking again. "Why do you even care about some random couple?"

She paused. Her shoulders drooped slightly. "It's been what feels like a lifetime since I've had love like that. In my profession, I can't imagine I ever will again. So I have to believe that such perfect love can exist for other people, and when I see love so close to ending." She trailed off. Bianca squared her shoulders again and carried on.

"Shepard-"

"Don't. I don't need your pity. I don't need your condolences. I need you to shut up and do your job."

"I was going to say that was beautiful."

"Yeah yeah. Don't get used to me being soft, Vakarian. It'd be bad for your personal health." She chuckled a little to herself.

"I won't, Shepard. But, hey, if we're lucky, we might find you somebody special."

"Did I just convince you to become my matchmaker? Lord help us all."

Garrus bumped her shoulder with a laugh. She bumped him back harder. He stopped it there before one of them knocked into somebody else and caused an incident. Bianca rolled her eyes and walked up to the desk of Officer Dara. Back to work.


	2. Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bianca may or may not have a weakness for sisters.

Miranda's sister was safe. Garrus nearly expected them to just head back to the Normandy. There was something in Shepard's eyes that told him that wouldn't be the case.

"There she is. She's safe. With her family." Miranda watched for a moment. "Come on. We should go."

"Don't you even want to say hello?" There it is.

"It's not about what I want. It's about what's right for her. The less she knows about me, the better. She's got a family. A life. I'll just complicate that for her." Don't resist, Miranda. You know she's going to press this.

Shepard's eyebrows knit together in thought. "She doesn't need any details, but would it really be so bad for her to know she has a sister who loves her?"

Miranda looked from Shepard back to Oriana. "I guess not."

"Go on. We'll wait here." A rare, sad smile.

Shepard drug him back a little to let her go. She leaned against the wall for balance to stretch her legs. At some point she'd run out of ammo and had to continuously use her biotics. Not a preferable situation for her taxed joints.

"Another soft spot?"

Bianca chuckled. "Family is important, Garrus. Miranda's never had something like that. Something normal. I can't have that for myself. I couldn't just let her throw it away. Understand?"

"You ever miss your family, Bianca?"

"Yes. Don't we all?"

"You'll see them again someday."

Shepard nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mom was pregnant with a baby sister when Mindoir happened. I was sixteen."

Garrus looked over at her. "That can't have been easy to live with."

She found a particularly interesting spot on the floor. "There comes a point when you're numb to it. A lot of people never reach that, but I have. Still, seeing things like this." She gestured to Miranda. "It gives me hope that maybe one day life can be better. That my life can be better. You have to have hope for something like that."

"Wanna retire somewhere warm and sunny someday?"

She looked up at him again. "If I live that long, I still have that beachfront property I won back on the SR1. It's something to look forward to at least." Bianca sighed in contentment. "She's coming back. Let's go."

"Right behind you. And Shepard?" Bianca paused in front of the elevator. "We'll get out of this. No matter what."

She glanced over her shoulder. "We have a long way to go."


	3. Thane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting close to people just provides another crack in the hard exterior.

Bianca fidgeted with her fingernails as she scanned through the report. The chairs in the mess of the crew deck were more comfortable than the couch in her cabin. Besides, she felt like she needed to be among her crew.

Somewhere else on the deck, a door opened. She stretched to peek around the corner to see who it was. A toothy smile came to her face before she caught herself.

"Hey, Thane."

"Bianca. Do you mind if we talk privately about something?"

"Uhh...sure." She stood and followed him back to life support. Her muscles surged with adrenaline.

Thane's muscles seemed tense as well. "I heard about your recent mission with Samara. Tracking the Ardat-Yakshi. It was...troubling."

"Troubling how exactly?" The memories of the mission flooded back.

His hand hovered for a moment over her shoulder. Bianca nodded to allow the touch. She relaxed as his hand fell there.

"Samara told me that by the time she arrived, you were nearly seduced."

Bianca glanced to the side. "Oh fuck."

"Indeed. Are you okay?" Thane ducked a little to look her in the eye.

She straightened back to her full height. "Always."

"That's bullshit, Shepard."

She shook his hand off and began to pace. "Well exactly what do you want me to say?"

"I don't know, Bianca, but I don't exactly like hearing that you nearly died from someone else."

"Oh so you want an apology?" She could feel her eyes flaring blue in indignation.

"I know you did what you had to."

"Then what do you want me to say? That I was scared? I never have been. That I thought of you when the bitch was about to fry my brain? You bet your ass I did." Bianca realized what she'd said as she said it. She hands flew to her mouth, but the words were out.

"What?"

Bianca closed the space between them in a few short strides. With all the subtlety of a brick wall, she hugged Thane tight enough to bruise. "Shut up. I wasn't scared of dying. I was scared of leaving you. Alone. Again." She felt his arms hold her closer. Anyone being so close was normally a terrible thing, but for once, she felt safe.

For a long time, neither of them spoke. They held each other, not wanting to let go for fear of losing the other.

"Soft spots?"

Bianca let out a sob of a laugh. "Few and far between. Count yourself lucky."

"I do." He smiled against her shoulder.

She buried her face in his neck. Heat flooded to her cheeks. "Oh god. Sorry if I'm really new at this. I've never been...shorthand we'll say I've never been in love before."

"Never?"

"Everyone I knew as a kid died on Mindoir. I was sixteen. Then I enlisted at eighteen. Torfan at twenty-four. Pick of any posting I wanted. N7 training. Saren and Sovereign. Not a lot of time left for falling in love. Even on accident."

"I suppose that my falling in love was something of an accident. Structural difficulties incurred by our occupations."

"Without those occupations, we never would have met, but that has the unfortunate drawback of me having no idea how romantic relationships work. I'm not exactly the most...cuddly person."

"And what, pray tell, would you call this?"

Bianca shook from restrained laughter. She drew back to look at him. She gently held his cheek in her hand. "Sorry for not telling you about the mission. I thought I'd be able to handle her attempts to woo me."

"I forgive you. It is...touching that you thought of me."

She covered her eyes in embarassment.

"You are easily flustered, but only in private."

"Abuse that and I will put you down." The words were harsh, but the brilliant smile gave her away.

Thane took her hands in his. "I have no doubts that you could, siha. But I can't think that you would."

"Calling my bluff, eh? That's one way to a girl's heart, I suppose." Bianca leaned in to give him one chaste kiss. "Is it alright if I stay while I read my reports? I have to say I prefer your company to the mess sergeant's."

"I should hope so. There are occasions when his cuisine leaves...much to be desired. I would be glad if you joined me."

Bianca went out to grab her datapad, but she stopped before returning to the familiar dwelling. When she came back, she had in hand two steaming mugs of tea.

"I wondered what about fetching a datapad could take so long to retrieve." Thane smiled at her as she took her seat across from him. "Thank you."

Thane read from a book on his omnitool while Bianca went back to her reports. Occasionally, one would look up from their reading to find the other staring at them. They'd both quickly look down at their devices. Slowly, they drank their tea to cold dregs. The ship grew ever quieter around them.

"Thank you for having me, Thane. I think I should probably head back to my cabin before crewmates become too suspicious."

"When did you become so concerned with protocol, Bianca?"

She chuckled slightly. "I've heard you're not supposed to stay the night on the first date."

"Oh? Would this be what you'd consider a date?"

"As close as we're getting in my profession."

"Allow me to provide you with a better example at the next port. I don't believe such should begin with arguing, my dear."

"In that case, we're going to Illium for supplies after our stop on Tuchanka."

"Illium? Perfect."

"I look forward to it." Bianca stood to go and had nearly passed the table when Thane grabbed her hand.

He was up in a flash to kiss her once. Hot and breathless. When he stepped back, she clutched at his coat.

"Hell of a way to say good night," she teased. Bianca leaned in and kissed him softly one more time.

"Until tomorrow, siha."

She grinned before finally taking her leave. Bianca collapsed against the wall of the elevator. Her heart still threatened to beat out of her chest. Even the dull throb of her deepening scars seemed to lessen under the pure warmth running through her. Was this what love felt like?

Was this what she'd been missing?


	4. Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of Bianca's soft spots doesn't work out in Garrus' favor for once.

Bianca got out of the shuttle and saw Garrus barrelling towards her. She clenched her jaw and fists in preparation for the utter shitstorm ahead. Her eyes narrowed, but in her peripheral vision, she saw Thane gearing up just in case.

"What in the hell was that, Shepard?"

"Enlighten me."

"I wanted to kill him, and this was the one time you decided that a bullet in the head wouldn't solve it? What were you thinking?"

Bianca had never thought twice about how sharp Garrus' teeth were before, but with him coming dangerously close to biting her head off, she widened her stance. She stared him down for a moment. Did he really want to get into this?

Her voice went low in her chest. "You didn't want to kill him, Garrus. You wanted the ghosts to stop. The only way that happens is if you let it go."

His brow plates raised. He understood. Bianca, the Butcher of Torfan, let her whole squad burn to give those slavers what they deserved. Garrus never heard about her feeling guilty for it.

"I could have shot you."

She laughed. "But you didn't. Now, will you get your damn talons off of my arm?"

Garrus looked down to see the imprint in her bicep's armor. She stepped back and rolled her shoulder to clear the pain.

"Shepard, I-"

"Come on. You owe me a fix on my armor."


End file.
